The unbeaten streak of the Eagles of Nice came to an end tonight at Jean Bouin after the 26th day of the Ligue Magnus. A logical defeat against a vengeful team from Briançon.
Three weeks after their last encounter, Nice and Briançon met on the ice. Favored for the match after a month of victories, the players under Frantisek Stolc’s guidance succumbed to the rule of the Hautes-Alpes team. A disappointment since the Maralpins were on a five-win streak against their opponents of the night.
Just like three weeks ago, the Red Devils showed commitment right from the start of the game. Both teams were disciplined and the players from Nice showed courage in front of their large home crowd. However, in the 13th minute, they faced a setback. Benjamin Berard managed to make a difference on his own and beat Conrad Molder, who was once again in goal. (0-1) That was the score at the break.
Nothing was decided, and the Nice players firmly believed in their chances, buoyed by the confidence gathered in recent days. However, too much confidence is never good, and the young Nice team learned this the hard way. Valere Vrielynck extended the lead (0-2) less than two minutes into the second period. However, all was not lost. Nice charged once again towards the well-guarded goal of the Devils. The attackers from the Azure Coast were repeatedly thwarted by Griffen Outhouse (27 saves), determined to avenge his last match. Despite over a dozen opportunities, the score did not change for the Eagles. Nonetheless, it shifted once more for Briançon. William Lemay, who assisted the second goal, turned into a scorer himself (0-3). Things complicated for the Nice team who appeared to be out of solutions.
Determination but a lack of efficiency
The coach then decided to bring back Raphaël Garnier, who hadn’t played since November 15th and the heavy defeat against Cergy-Pontoise. Unfortunately, the French goalie could do nothing about his teammates’ lack of efficiency. Nevertheless, it’s worth noting that upon his return, he kept his net inviolate in the last 20 minutes with 11 saves. It’s all said and done, Nice fell (0-3) despite a fierce determination to perform well, as reflected by the penalties received for over-commitment at the end of the match.
Therefore, it will be necessary to quickly set the disappointment aside to start a new positive streak. This begins by finding the path to success at Anglet this Friday. The match starts at 8:30 pm.
